on the day after

it's the day after midterm elections: lots of democrats lost in the house, some democrats lost in the senate, maryland stayed on course with democrats in charge and a few more in the state senate. the president today said he'd be more open to compromise, which seems strange to me since he's been doing that all along.

am i more or less bitter than after other elections? i think a bit more. after gaining majorities in the house and senate in 2006 and 2008, with the white house in 2008, even with a depressed economy, this was really the democrats' election to lose. the media drove the opposite message by giving whackos and nutjobs massive unearned free media coverage, making whack-a-doodle o'donnell almost a household name.

for two years, instead of acting on a clear mandate for transformative change voters gave obama and congress in 2008, we saw moderation and incrementalism. yes, health care reform passed but it was really health insurance company protection dressed up. we did get the abolition of pre-existing conditions bans but i don't trust insurers or employers to do this correctly or well. and my distrust is indicative of the white house's main failing: communication. they failed miserably on health care, financial melt-down, and just about everything else. obama didn't rev up for the midterm elections until about two weeks out, too late to make a significant difference with more vague "yes we can" promises. [warning: i'm not a big fan of our president, folks. deal with it.]

so now what? hell if i know. by the accounts i'm seeing, democrats continue to learn the wrong lessons from these defeats. instead of going with the "let's get back to standing up for and by our fundamental principles and values," they're all "ooo, someone's mad at me. i better be even more milquetoasty." yuk! when i look at the democrats i'd follow--even without agreeing with everything they've said or done, i think of Alan Grayson (D-FL08) and Russ Feingold (D-WI). and both lost. i love Bernie Sanders (D-VT) but as an independent, his chances at leadership are low. Reid will likely continue as senate leader, and with obama's words ringing in his ears, we're bound to have even weaker leadership from him. lovely...

women's rights and especially our right to determine our reproductive future are definitely on the chopping block - what a wasted opportunity the past two years have been on this. chances of eliminating the hyde amendment seem at an all-time low, greater restrictions to access are likely to proliferate, and democrats seem to care not a whit.

and what about issues affecting civil and human rights over the next two years? well, don't bet on dadt passing congress. so will obama finally figure out he has the power to block further discharges? will holder's doj continue defending the unspoken war on "terror" that translates into the war on american civil rights? will the white house continue entrenching and extending the bush/cheney secrecy and "right" to wage an executive war? and will the media ever focus on how this administration has done nothing to undo the worst legacy of the previous one? (hint: not likely)

while i love ted kennedy's words ("the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die."), our current leaders are not the ones who will ensure that the dream of an america for all lives on.